Bangkok Flood Battle: Litterers to face heavy fines

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BKK Flood Battle: Litterers to face heavy fines

 

 

BANGKOK, 6 June 2017 (NNT) – The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) is considering penalizing people who throw litter into drains and waterways as it continues to encourage keeping the sewage system clean to combat flooding. 

Bangkok Governor Assawin Kwanmuang has met with a network of organizations committed to promoting the city’s measures against flooding. At the meeting, the governor asked members of the press to create understanding about the water and rain situation in Bangkok and for all to join in the effort to manage water. 

All 50 Bangkok district offices have been instructed to setup Flood Prevention and Solution Operation Centers with a focus on areas with a history of poor drainage. They have been told to install water pumps and jets as needed and to track weather reports 24 hours a day. 

The governor revealed after the meeting that notifications about flooding can now be received via the application Line and let on his office is considering fines of up to 5,000 baht for those who pollute water ways and impede water flow. The measure, along with a reward for reporters of such acts, is likely to be announced in 2 weeks.

 

-- nnt

[ChrisY1]

So, does this mean that some 60 million people will be fined?

[Bangna Betty]

More rules and fines - short term measures only. Need to also start education about littering at school right through to university - try to develop some sense of civic pride and individual responsibility in the community.  Most of the litter I see is simply discarded by Thais who just don't give a damn. Have to try to change the attitude. 

[champers]

Horse. Stable. Bolted.

 

[z42]

Thai price B200, foreigner price B20,000 plus public shaming with the RTP head honcho (no surgical masks, sunglasses, baseball caps, or makeup allowed)....

 

Also just getting seen holding any litter (even if walking in direction of the bins) qualifies foreigners for the fine.

[tomwct]

When I first visited Bangkok almost 30 years, Bangkok flooded. I remember Sukhumvit 22, 25 years ago, during the rainy season, the street flooded every afternoon when it rained. Why? Because there was no drainage. No infrastructure for rain! So here we are almost

30 years later and the same afternoon rains Sukhumvit 22 floods. No one should be surprised. When you put in minimum infrastructure you see the results. Someone needs to say enough is enough and stop building until you put in some infrastructureto  prevent the current flooding. When new construction is applied for make the contractor pay for additional infrastructure.That's the way the real world handles new construction, but Thailand does very little and most of it is backwards. Worry about problems after construction. So Bangkok will continue to flood every year so don't be surprised. But get back to the OP about garbage. Yes it is a problem, but not the major problem. Bangkok has only 20% of the infrastructure needed for drainage. Build an additional 80% and garbage will not be a major problem. This is one

reason why many people still consider Thailand a Third World Country.. Amazing Thailand.

Edited June 6, 2017 by tomwct
Added extra

[JaseTheBass]

I thought the police were already doing a sterling job in the fight against littering, or is that only against foreigners who dropf ag buts?

[rkidlad]

I wonder if these fines will be as successful as the riding on the pavement fines?

[Prbkk]

It's a bit silly...a no-brainer that people who throw litter in waterways should be heavily fined. The bigger issue / more pressing problem is littering more broadly, accepting that a significant proportion of it ends up in waterways regardless of where it was initially deposited. 

It is one of the great mysteries of life in Thailand: a people so proud of their heritage, their homes, their appearance....and for whom "face" is everything.....and yet so many think nothing of destroyed the environment and atmosphere by selfish/thoughtless/mindless acts like litter dumping.

[DM07]

I will believe it, when I see it!

Start with fining 7eleven, for giving everyone plastic bags, straws and plastic spoons for E-VE-RY-THING....

[quadperfect]

Give a hoot dont polute.

This would be a good thing but i dont think the asia not just bangkok is ready to give a crap.

Fisherman are poluting the sea and then up stream polution clogs drains but still end up in the sea.

time to do something for sure. Anything.

 

[coulson]

I thought the police were already doing a sterling job in the fight against littering, or is that only against foreigners who dropf ag buts?

Yes but only on sukhumvit where the highest ranking ambassadors of the bib get to have fun and make a quick buck.

Last time I was pulled in for placing a butt in a plant pot with no bin in sight near asok. The guy dragged me back and gave me the whole lecture about bangkok cleanliness. I gave up on my attempt to refuse since I hadnt littered the street, pulled out an empty bottle and some wrapping/ plastic bag from my back pocket to show him I was clearly waiting for a bin to show up and dispose of my trash and he points to the ashtray right beside his little hut.

When asked to pay I said I had no money and he pointed to the atm 2m away. How conveient I told him, adding if there were as many bins as atms in bangkok it wouldnt be such a mess.

I dont know why I bother getting wound up with them but at least they dont get my sarcasm and I can walk away. I got a 1000 baht discount for no receipt.....I said no need, you can put it in the bin hahahahaha we both laughed......wai and big smile as I go on my way.

I swear I will don a hidden cam on one of these guys just for satisfaction.

[NCC1701A]

Jesus everybody chill out. It's not raining right now, so what is the problem?

[JAFO]

While litter in the waterways and drainage infrastructure is a part of the problem, you need to go back up stream into the process and stop supplying everything to consumers in double and triple plastic bags. I have always been amazed in my 10+ years here that everywhere you go, everything you buy food wise, is bagged and rubber banded, re-bagged and then put in a bigger bag.  I always insist not to give me extra bags. 

 

I am not going complain and start the "Rip on Thailand" nonsense as its not necessary and resolves nothing.  I clearly see the country is attempting to transition to be better but it has a lonnnnnnnng way to go in educating the people. I have seen many positive things happening, but like any News anywhere it usually only shows the bad as bad and disturbing news sells.

 

[JaseTheBass]

15 minutes ago, JAFO said:

While litter in the waterways and drainage infrastructure is a part of the problem, you need to go back up stream into the process and stop supplying everything to consumers in double and triple plastic bags. I have always been amazed in my 10+ years here that everywhere you go, everything you buy food wise, is bagged and rubber banded, re-bagged and then put in a bigger bag.  I always insist not to give me extra bags. 

 

I am not going complain and start the "Rip on Thailand" nonsense as its not necessary and resolves nothing.  I clearly see the country is attempting to transition to be better but it has a lonnnnnnnng way to go in educating the people. I have seen many positive things happening, but like any News anywhere it usually only shows the bad as bad and disturbing news sells.

 

Agreed, but how does one educate the young when the teachers are idiots?

[wirat69]

4 hours ago, Bangna Betty said:

Need to also start education about littering at school right through to university - try to develop some sense of civic pride and individual responsibility in the community.  

Clearly you did not go to school in Thailand and just ramble on about things you know zilch about!!!

 

Litter, environment and Thai culture are high in the

mind and lessons of the educators. If that in itself was insufficient the late King Bumiphol  taught about preserving the environment and ecology. 

[JAFO]

1 hour ago, JaseTheBass said:

Agreed, but how does one educate the young when the teachers are idiots?

Well again this is back to the beginning process. It all starts up front, never at the end. Its like parenting. Its hard to  fix a broken kid when he/she is 30, You need to educate them early and frequently. No different really with the teachers. There has to be a standard and they have to be held accountable for it.

 

No doubt Thailand has a monumental transition challenge in front of them. I won't see it come to fruition in my life time.  

[williamgeorgeallen]

2 hours ago, wirat69 said:

Clearly you did not go to school in Thailand and just ramble on about things you know zilch about!!!

 

Litter, environment and Thai culture are high in the

mind and lessons of the educators. If that in itself was insufficient the late King Bumiphol  taught about preserving the environment and ecology. 

i always wondered why the late king did not tell thais to stop littering. he said to look after stray dogs and their numbers exploded so people obviously listened to him.

as far as the littering goes you cant blame it 100% on the general public, there is simply not enough garbage bins and garbage collection. but of course this  comes back to charging more taxes which is unlikely to happen.

be warned smokers, you fine is about to go from 2000thb to 5000thb for dropping a butt down a drain.

[bbi1]

5 hours ago, JaseTheBass said:

I thought the police were already doing a sterling job in the fight against littering, or is that only against foreigners who dropf ag buts?

They aren't the police...

[bbi1]

4 hours ago, coulson said:

 

When asked to pay I said I had no money and he pointed to the atm 2m away. How conveient I told him, adding if there were as many bins as atms in bangkok it wouldnt be such a mess.

I dont know why I bother getting wound up with them but at least they dont get my sarcasm and I can walk away. I got a 1000 baht discount for no receipt.....I said no need, you can put it in the bin hahahahaha we both laughed......wai and big smile as I go on my way.

I swear I will don a hidden cam on one of these guys just for satisfaction.

 

You got charged the sucker price. If a Thai/Lao/Cambo/Burmese person ever got fined (and that's probably a big "if"), they would probably pay only 100 baht or so.

 

On the other hand, I've always wondered what would happen if the foreigner just ran away when they said "come with me" lol

Edited June 6, 2017 by bbi1

[Trumpish]

I suspect that the brains behind the current outfit haven't yet worked out that it isn't just a question of pronouncing new laws. You can make up all the laws you want; if the police simply refuse to enforce them, then there's no point and everything gets reducd to the level of trying to push sh|t uphill with a pointy stick.. This has been seen in so many different contexts that I'm surprised it hasn't sunk in yet.

 

No, that's not right. I'm not surprised. Not even a little bit.

[kannot]

7 hours ago, ChrisY1 said:

So, does this mean that some 60 million people will be fined?

"considering" .................dont worry anyone fined will just say its "unfair" and that will be the end of it....however they have with this statement set it  up nicely for the "it  wasnt our  fault BKK flooded it was  all the folk who put crap down the drains"

Edited June 6, 2017 by kannot

[kannot]

4 minutes ago, Trumpish said:

I suspect that the brains behind the current outfit haven't yet worked out that it isn't just a question of pronouncing new laws. You can make up all the laws you want; if the police simply refuse to enforce them, then there's no point and everything gets reducd to the level of trying to push sh|t uphill with a pointy stick.. This has been seen in so many different contexts that I'm surprised it hasn't sunk in yet.

 

No, that's not right. I'm not surprised. Not even a little bit.

"Brains"..................get real!

[kannot]

6 hours ago, Prbkk said:

It's a bit silly...a no-brainer that people who throw litter in waterways should be heavily fined. The bigger issue / more pressing problem is littering more broadly, accepting that a significant proportion of it ends up in waterways regardless of where it was initially deposited. 

It is one of the great mysteries of life in Thailand: a people so proud of their heritage, their homes, their appearance....and for whom "face" is everything.....and yet so many think nothing of destroyed the environment and atmosphere by selfish/thoughtless/mindless acts like litter dumping.

Like throwing all their trash into the empty plot next to their  house.......outta  site, outta  mind

[hansnl]

7 hours ago, JaseTheBass said:

I thought the police were already doing a sterling job in the fight against littering, or is that only against foreigners who dropf ag buts?

Yes.

Probably.

[FNQ]

10 hours ago, z42 said:

Thai price B200, foreigner price B20,000 plus public shaming with the RTP head honcho (no surgical masks, sunglasses, baseball caps, or makeup allowed)....

 

Also just getting seen holding any litter (even if walking in direction of the bins) qualifies foreigners for the fine.

 

What Bins. The ones that you may find are always overflowing.

More Bins with regular empties , for start.

[YetAnother]

useless; not enforceable; no will either

[SiamBeast]

Start by fining 7-eleven..

 

You buy water, it comes in a plastic bottle, with a plastic straw wrapped in a plastic wrapper, all in a plastic bag.

You buy rice, you get rice in a plastic container, with a plastic fork in a plastic bag, and a plastic spoon in a plastic bag, all wrapped in a plastic bag that will end up in the sewer.

[djayz]

I laughed so hard at this article I almost wet myself!

Fine litter bugs? 

Highly unlikely. It'll be the same as the "authorities" sitting in those little green booths up along Sukhumwit. They'll sit there for hours in end watching the locals litter the streets but as soon as a whitie drops a sweet wrapper or fag then they're all over him. 

 

[just.a.thought]

How about teaching your kids to take an interest in keeping your surroundings and the last pieces of nature clean. Tourists will stop coming if the mess continues,who in their right mind will swim in the sewerage that the waters around Thailand is turning into. Take a drive into the country where you will enjoy the scenic plastic fields where the delicious ingredients for your Thai food is grown with the help of copious amounts of chemicals.